Jailbreak

Cydia

Although Apple and Google are tech companies, not security agencies, the companies are being strongly encouraged by U.S. officials to take more aggressive steps to reduce the rampant wave of smartphone-related crime.

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that top law enforcement officials from San Francisco and New York "plan to meet with some of the nation’s largest smartphone makers next week to help thwart the rise in cellphone thefts and robberies."

This meeting is now scheduled to take place in New York City on June 13th. It will be called the “Smartphone Summit.”

"With 1.6 million Americans falling victim to smartphone theft in 2012, this has become a national epidemic," said San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón. "Unlike other types of crimes, smartphone theft can be eradicated with a simple technological solution."

The "solution" in question will be pitched at the meeting. Basically, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Samsung will be asked to begin designing their phones and operating systems so that they contain a so-called "kill switch."

“The theft of handheld devices is the fastest-growing street crime, and increasingly, incidents are turning violent,” New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman added in a statement. “It’s time for manufacturers to be as innovative in solving this problem as they have been in designing devices that have reshaped how we live.”

No thanks, I'd rather not trust anyone with the ability to kill my phone with the flip of a switch. The measures we have in place are sufficient in most cases.
It's not manufacturers jobs to take care of this.

how about the law enforcers do their jobs and arrest the criminals. To be able to wipe iPhones remotely and being able to track it, is enough and like I said in the last thread like this one, 'software can't stop physical thefts'

It's Simple, People Stop walking around with their Phones in their hands & then placing it down to get something, I work for Costco and the potential to steal someone cell phone is EASY to say the least..lol. I've seen people carrying their phones around in One Hand and a bunch of Stuff in the other. How bout PEOPLE get innovated and be SMART. Lock your phone, you'd be surprise how that one thing can stop most criminals, second, how bout using that thing known as -->FIND MY IPHONE, it helps, trust me, not that i have to worry bout mine getting stolen, but..still I have my iPhone jailbroken so even IF...IF...someone stole my iPhone i can take a pic of the perp, i can turn off my iPhone remotely, i can sound an Alarm on it, i have a HOST of things i can do to AT LEAST deter them from selling it to someone, or trying to access my info. But the solution is simple don't be stupid with your smart phone & you won't get it stolen simple as that.

I live in NYC and spend over 4hrs a day, 5 days a week in the subway and from what I see--people who get their phones stolen deserve to have them stolen. Google and Apple are NOT responsible for irresponsible people.

people sleeping, people with their phone's half hanging out their back pockets, people leaving them on the seat next to them.